TTMO says holiday traffic due to volume, not enforcers

1 of 2

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Iloilo City government’s Traffic and Transportation Management Office (TTMO) maintains that traffic congestion during rush hours is primarily caused by the high volume of vehicles, not by the shortcomings of its enforcers.

TTMO head Uldarico Garbanzos said their traffic strategy follows standard operating procedures, especially at congested intersections.

He explained that when traffic buildup becomes heavy at a junction, TTMO supervisors are authorized to implement “flushing” — manually adjusting traffic flow and at times overriding traffic lights — to ease congestion.

Before any flushing is executed, Garbanzos said the operations team is informed to ensure coordination in affected areas.

Under this protocol, priority is given to the most congested direction to relieve pressure and reduce vehicle buildup.

If outbound lanes become jammed, enforcers allow longer clearing times for outbound vehicles — a move that has occasionally drawn complaints from motorists on the opposite side.

Once congestion builds in other directions, such as inbound or cross traffic, priority shifts to those lanes accordingly.

Garbanzos emphasized that this approach is guided by the need for overall traffic efficiency, not favoritism.

“The goal is to prevent gridlock, not to alternate traffic just for the sake of it,” he said.

He acknowledged that existing traffic lights sometimes fail to accommodate queues that stretch 300 to 500 meters from certain intersections, leading to delays.

“Sometimes our traffic lights, in its countdown scheme, cannot accommodate queues of vehicles stretching up to 300 meters or even half a kilometer from certain intersections,” he said.

Garbanzos admitted that reforms are necessary and that the office has already begun efforts to improve enforcement and traffic management.

He said the TTMO has accepted public criticism and since last year has been working to improve personnel performance and attitudes on the ground.

To date, more than 200 personnel have received explanation notices for performance-related issues. Others have faced reprimands or termination following administrative actions.

“These comments, we accept it,” he said. “But we also have to note that Iloilo City is a destination and we are hosting major activities that lead to recurring issues in traffic flow.”

He reiterated that traffic is expected to worsen during the holiday season due to increased vehicle volume, heightened commercial activity, and public events.

Although enforcers are deployed citywide, Garbanzos admitted that some continue to show subpar performance, which he said is being addressed through disciplinary action and training.

He also said TTMO is on full alert, with all personnel deployed on the ground to closely monitor and manage traffic conditions.